WARSAW — A six-hour private meeting on Wednesday between Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in southern Poland brought together the two men who have most roiled European politics of late.

The meeting was held over a meal of sour soup and trout in the shadow of a castle that switched hands over the centuries between Hungary and Poland. The pair weren’t close in the past. When Orbán was in Warsaw in 2015, he didn’t even see Kaczyński, who was reportedly dismayed at the Hungarian leader’s close ties with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

But they now have an enemy in common — the foreign critics in Brussels, Berlin and beyond who have lambasted them both for allegedly trampling on European democratic norms — and an increasingly similar political philosophy and approach to governing. With each week, the parallels between Law and Justice (or PiS, as it’s known by its Polish acronym) and Orbán are coming into sharper relief.

Nationalist rhetoric, socialist economics

On the Polish right, Orbán has been the object of “fascination” since his Fidesz party came to power in 2010 with almost 53 percent of the vote, said Igor Janke, author of an influential Polish book, “Attacker: A Tale of Viktor Orbán.” Not only politicians from Law and Justice, he said. Some in the rival Civic Platform party felt it as well. When Donald Tusk was Poland’s prime minister from 2007 to 2014, he often went out of his way to defend his Hungarian counterpart from Western attacks.

What captivated the Polish right most of all was Orbán’s efficacy, both at winning elections and reforming the country — the impression that “politics can get things done,” Janke said.

Orbán’s nationalism plays to the country’s historic sense of grievance over a World War I settlement that left it shorn of many ethnically Hungarian territories. He also defends politically incorrect views, warning that the hundreds of thousands of mainly Muslim migrants arriving in the EU threaten the continent’s “Christian” roots.

To the frustration of his critics, Hungary last year had one of the fastest growth rates in the EU.

His economic policies lean populist, as does Poland’s new government. He promised and delivered on relief for the thousands of Hungarians who had costly mortgages denominated in Swiss francs. His unorthodox economic policies, dubbed “Orbanomics,” imposed special taxes on many big businesses, in particular non-Hungarian ones.

To the frustration of his critics, Hungary last year had one of the fastest growth rates in the EU.

Orbán has come under fire for imposing tighter controls on state radio and television broadcasters and for funneling state advertising contracts to friendly media. The Hungarian leader, who has said one of his goals is to build an “illiberal new state based on national foundations,” also limited the power of the constitutional court to strike down laws passed by parliament.

In Poland, Kaczyński has railed against migrants carrying “parasites and protozoa.” His party appeals to a nationalist sense of grievance at the harm done to Poland during World War II. In a recent television interview, Kaczyński pointed out that most Poles had been killed “not by the Gestapo or the SS but by ordinary Germans.”

The PiS government elected in October sought to strengthen its hold over the Constitutional Tribunal by invalidating the choice of five judges by the previous parliament. Parliament, where PiS has an absolute majority, also pushed through a law that gives the government much tighter control of the public media. Both steps have been condemned by Brussels.

Jarosław Kaczyński, stands by to his lawmakers during a voting session at the Polish parliament

The party’s economic ideas are similar to Orbán’s. Andrzej Duda, the PiS-backed president, promised to help the half-million Poles with Swiss franc mortgages (although he hasn’t yet followed through). The government wants to impose a special tax on big retail outlets (largely foreign owned) and a new banking tax. Its signature policy is a per-child bonus of 500 zlotys (€116) a month for families with two or more children.

Even so, Orbán’s actual influence on Law and Justice shouldn’t be exaggerated. Asked about how close Kaczyński is to Orbán, Janke quips that he knows each of them better than they know each other.

Attacked by Brussels

As far as the EU is concerned, Poland’s new leadership admires how Orbán has stood up for Hungary’s interests. While not opposed to EU membership, the new Polish government resents being bossed around by Brussels or Berlin on matters ranging from CO2 emissions to refugees.

At the same time, the Law and Justice government wants to deepen cooperation within East-Central Europe, which it feels was previously neglected in favor of relations with Paris and Berlin. In this view, the Visegrad Group — comprising Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia — could form the core of a broader alliance stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea, with Warsaw at the center.

Kaczyński’s party has a history of hawkishness towards Moscow, whereas Orbán has been accused of cozying up to the Kremlin.

Still, proponents of closer Visegrad cooperation recognize that it will not happen overnight. “It would be great if we were the Benelux – but we aren’t,” said Konrad Szymański, the new minister for European affairs, referring to the close-knit political and economic union of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, at a recent event in Warsaw organized by the think-tank CEPA.

One problem is Russia. Kaczyński’s party has a history of hawkishness towards Moscow, whereas Orbán has been accused of cozying up to the Kremlin, which is helping finance a large nuclear project in Hungary.

Even further right, Polish-Hungarian camaraderie is used as a banner by nationalists united by a shared disdain for Western liberalism. Hostility to migrants is bringing Poland’s marginal National Movement and the nationalist Jobbik, the third-largest party in the Hungarian parliament, closer together.

There was a visible Hungarian presence at the annual nationalist march in Warsaw on Polish Independence Day, November 11. “Friendship today, alliance tomorrow,” read a bilingual banner carried by youths with Jobbik flags.

“Nowhere in the world is there such a tie between nations,” a Polish priest who supported the march said enthusiastically.

One of the guests at the Warsaw march was László Toroczkai, a Jobbik lawmaker and mayor of Ásotthalom, near Hungary’s border with Serbia.

Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary, at a press conference

“We are defending Europe from the Islamic invasion in exactly the same way as 500 years ago; and unfortunately, the West is silent in the same way as before,” he shouted from a makeshift stage behind Warsaw’s National Stadium, boasting about how the fence on Hungary’s border with Serbia had been his idea.

Jobbik’s cooperation with the tiny Polish National Movement is rooted in a shared vision of Europe, Márton Gyöngyösi, a leader of Jobbik responsible for foreign policy, told POLITICO.

“As opposed to liberal values based on individualism, secularism, consumerism and multiculturalism, we support the defense of the nation state, its traditions, ethnic composition and Christian values,” he said.

Polish-Hungarian relations are underpinned by a mythologized friendship. A centuries-old saying in both languages speaks of “Pole and Hungarian — two good friends, together they battle and drink.”

While the mutual admiration can be overstated, it is there.

“I am deeply convinced that the day will come when we will have Budapest in Warsaw,” Kaczyński said after his party lost elections in 2011.

Veritas-Semper

Yes, there is great promise in the potential coalescence of the Intermarium states to offset the suffocating and self-annihilating liberal bureaucrats in Brussels steered from Berlin.

Posted on 1/6/16 | 8:11 PM CEST

Alex

Good for Poland and Hungary. It’s high time to abolish the FED/IMF financial usury and monopoly on money. America would do well to follow their example and start printing their own money instead of Federally backed notes!

Posted on 1/7/16 | 12:31 AM CEST

Rancor

Good article

It seems that foreigners are able to write a balanced piece about Poland, whereas polish (or wherever he sees his loyalty – no sarcasm, I just don’t know) propagandists like mr Cienski fall short

Thanks for underlining the fact that parties like Jobbik in Poland are marginal, which once again goes against the notion presented by foreign media propagandists, that Poland is fiercely xenophobic, nationalist and pro-Russia

Posted on 1/7/16 | 12:53 AM CEST

knight

A good explanation of the situation and what to do is here:

Posted on 1/7/16 | 2:12 AM CEST

Malden

Why is this friendship “defiant”? Poland and Hungary have been friendly for hundreds of years. Whoever writes the titles for Politico has a woeful grasp of European history.

Posted on 1/7/16 | 3:44 AM CEST

jakabaa

is it a sin to be a Hungarian nationalist?
If, yes, ask the Britons, the French, even the Belgians….. If they say, it’s sin to be nationalist, a patriot, then I reconsider myself.
But till then, let’s be happy about two states, two statesmen, who dare to play the role of thruthtellers, of saviors of EU.
Today (Thu) in Budapest, we hope that with Britain a coalition will be formed to reform the system.
A system is bound to reconsider/adjust itself daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, but at least after each decade. Who’s opinion differs?

Posted on 1/7/16 | 8:42 AM CEST

zygmunt stolarz

The biggest nationalists are Germans and Angela Merkel. They practice the most selfish nationalism by maintain Moscow-Berlin Axis to the detriment of the security of Ukraine.

Posted on 1/7/16 | 9:25 AM CEST

Kubanek

When it comes to Polish-Hungarian relations I do not agree with the thesis about “long-lasting friendship”. It is rather last 150-200 years, no more. Romania has always been our friend and ally, but very few in Poland, remember it. It is rather similar mentality of Poles and Hungarians, part of our Central-European mentality. We both say “no” for West which represents nothing and East which represents barbarity and cult of brutal force.
We do not want to see such pictures as from Cologne, where hordes of sub-animals treated German women. It is West and liberals who responsible for all rapes, murders and other crimes all around Western Europe. Liberals will pay for their crimes.

Posted on 1/7/16 | 11:31 AM CEST

bugsy

@kubanek: Respect from Bucharest!

Posted on 1/7/16 | 12:35 PM CEST

Zygmunt Stolarz

The German media, lead by the German government, is guided by two sets of policies.
The first one is called ‘Schweigekartell’ (cartel of silence) and pertains to domestic issues. For example lack of reporting on the violence in Koln.
The second set of policies is called ‘SS Goebbels’ and pertains to reporting about international issues, particularly when it concerns Poland or Hungary.

Posted on 1/7/16 | 1:42 PM CEST

Norbert Volestrangler

Time to kick them both hard where it hurts.
Suspend them from the EU and NATO.
If they want the benefits then they should accept EU values,
otherwise they can suck up to Mother Russia again.

Posted on 1/7/16 | 3:56 PM CEST

Kubanek

Norbert Volestrangler
What about Western European business here? Are they willing to leave Poland, Hungary? They earn dozens of billions od euros here, especially German business. We do not want to them, either.

Posted on 1/7/16 | 5:08 PM CEST

kamil

Hungary and Poland, the two countries that dare to make global companies, mostly German, to pay their taxes in Hungary and Poland. The rest is hysteria of bankster-inspired press. In order to not look like fraudsters, the banksters use the lofty language of democracy and freedom. Democracy and freedom to rob the countries that shook off communism, to be precise.

Posted on 1/8/16 | 12:49 AM CEST

Instruktor

There is another area of common policies of Kaczynski and Orban, which is not mentioned by the author. It is their fight with the remnants of the post communist establishment and the associated nepotism which was present both in Hungary and Poland.
In case of Poland, Tusk (and his PO ) felt that accepting that burden was the negotiated price Poland needed to pay for the communists to give up power in 1989. Kaczynski was the first politician who was bold enough to start cleaning up the system.
Personally, I am convinced that his success will be critical to the long-term success of the Polish state.

Posted on 1/8/16 | 12:53 PM CEST

Anneli

Generally objective and well-researched article – with one major exception: When referring to “ethnically Hungarian” territories that Hungary lost after World War I, you seem to infer that the majority of the population of the “lost territories” as Hungarian. This, however, is not true. In Transsylvania, Hungrians never represented the majority of the population living there. Moreover, as a result of the nationalistic policy conducted by Hungary there, which affected not only the majority of Romanians but also minorities such as the (German) Transsylvanian Saxons, both Romanians, Saxons and the Banat Swabians opted for Transsylvania to become part of Romania.

Posted on 1/8/16 | 1:02 PM CEST

Christian Henkel

@ Anneli

My paternal grandparents were Swabians from Siebenbürgen and affected they were just by the Romanian policies: betraying Germany in both of the word wars, then deporting the German minority meanwhile stealing their houses, churches, etc. Still a painful memory.

Posted on 1/10/16 | 1:08 AM CEST

Christian Henkel

Typo: “world wars”

Posted on 1/10/16 | 1:09 AM CEST

Norbert

@Anneli No official referendum was ever held in Transylvania my friend. It wasn’t the people who voted, but so called leaders from the minorities/councils. Stop faking history. Romanians constantly say that people chose, no I am sorry, but the LEADERS chose, NOT the people. Also, in 1918 Romania promised to give autonomy to the Hungarian/German minorities, where is the autonomy?

As an ethnic German from Hungary, I can tell you no-one oppresses us in Hungary. I can attend Kinder garden, Primary School, Secondary School all the way up to University in German. All paid for by the Hungarian tax payers. So, what oppression are you talking about?

I go to Transylvania on a regular basis, and I can tell you that it is you who is oppressing the minority. I get old ladies in markets telling me to not speak Hungarian as there will be re-percussion if she speaks with me etc. People refused to serve us in some shops when they heard us speak Hungarian, even though my sister in-law spoke to them in fluent Romanian.

So please and yes, Transylvania was part of Hungary. Accept it, just like we have to accept it is part of Romania for the time being. The way Romania treats Transylvania, it will only be time before they go independent. I even hear it from REAL Transylvanian Romanians, NOT imports from Bucharest and Iasi etc.